Egg testing and labeling machine



April 9, 1929. E. A. LAUBER EGG TESTING AND LABELING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1927 2 Shee ts-Sheet 6km nu:

April 1929- E. A. LAUBYER 1,708,548

EGG I EST ING AND LABELING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm K Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES 'EMIL A. LAUBER, OF EUGENE, OREGON.

EGG TESTING AND LABELING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18, 1927. Serial No. 184,888.

' My invention relates to an egg testing or candling device which consists primarily of a light well, a light element within the well, a reflector associated with the light 3 element and openings disposed through the front wall of the light well. An inking pad disposed in front of the base of the light well and in adjustable relationship with the light well, printing plates normally placed face down upon the inking pad and means for raising the printing plates to facilitate the contacting of the units to be labeled therewith and means for returning the printing plates to normal position of face down upon the inking pad.

The primary object of my device consists in. providing means for the testing of the eggs and for the labeling of the same, be fore the same has been released from the hand of the tester.

A further object of my invention consists in providing an adjustable mechanism in the front of the device to permit of its being positioned to a height that fits the size of the hand of the user of the same.

A still further object of my invention consists in providing simple and eflicicnt means for the labeling of eggs and like material. I do not wish to be limited in the application of my device to the labeling of eggs, as the same maybe used for the labeling of fruits, as oranges or lemons or grape fruit or other similar and like material.

lVit-h these and incidental objects in view,

the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims and a preferred form of embodiment of which is here inafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled device.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross section view, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partially in section of the actuating lever for raising the printing plates from contact wtih the inking p Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the assembled engage the face of sectional view, taken 5, looking in the direcparts, throughout the several views.

A light well 1, is formed by a circular case 2, having outwardly extending ledges 3 and 4 disposed at the rear of either side thereof, the object of which is to facilitate the attachment of the device to the wall to maintain the same in upright position and accessible to the user of the same. Disposed centrally of the light well is a light element 5, as an electric globe supplied by source of electricity extraneous of the device. Disposed at the rear of the light element 5 is a reflector 6, the object of which is to reflect the light forward and to concentrate the same upon the two openings 7 and 8 disposed through the upper front wall of the light well. A removable lidded closure 9 is associated with the top of the light well. A printing device is adjustably positioned relative to the light well and is disposed upon the front of the casing 2. A bracket 10 being associated with the printing mechanism and having a slot 11 placed centrally of the same through which an adjusting nut 12 passes, the object of which is to position the printing mechanism in the manner to best suit the movements of the size of the hands of the operator of the same. An inking pad 13 is disposed within the base 14 of the printing device; cross shafts 15 and 16 are journaled within the base 14, and. extend outwardly from the base 14. The printing plates 17 and 18 are positioned upon the shafts 15 and 16 and are adapted to being rocked thereby and disthe printing plate with the inking pad 13 and to raise the same sufficiently to permit of the contacting of the article to be labeled with the printing faces disposed upon the face of the printing plates. A spring 19 is disposed about each of the shafts and normally maintains the printing plates in their normal position of contacting, face down, with the inking pad 13. Pinions 20 and 21 are disposed upon the outer end of the shafts 15 and 16 and are in registerable alignment with the racks 22 and 23 disposed upon the actuating lever 24. The

actuating-lever 24 is also normally raised through the action of the-springs 19 and when the operator and user of the device places his hand upon the actuating lever 24 and depresses the same; the racks 22 and 23 rotate the pinions 2O-and.21 and-there fore the shafts and 16 to which the same the actuating "lever 24: has an" inwardly sloping surface 25 against which the hand ofthe operat'or contacts to depress the same;

In order togive rigidity to the device and to lesson the cost of construction of the same,

I have found that the frame for supporting the printing mechanism and the actuating lever can be made of one piece of sheet material, as illustrated in section in Fig. 6, wherem the front table 26, the supporting base for the inking pad f27,"and the bracket 10 is-composed of one piece. By the upturning of an ear 28, from the table 26, theactuating lever maybe hinged about the-same by the forming of a working connection 29, 'asillustiated in Fig. 6, with the upturned. ear 28. I thus form the manipulative units of but a few parts and a device that will not easily get out of order.

While .the I form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, itis to be understoodthat it is not intended to confinethe invention to the one form of embodiment herein shownfand described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

lVhat I claim is 7 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of aninking pad, cross shafts disposed at right angles to the inking pad, a

printing plate carried by each shaft and adapted to engagement and disengagement with the paid by the rocking of the'shaft, a pinion mounted upon each shaft, an actuating lever, and gear segments secured to the actuating lever and meshing with the 'pinions and means for normally maintaining the actuating lever in a raised position whereby the printing plates are caused to contact with the inking pads.

2; A device of the class described, a pair of rocking shafts, yieldable means urging the shafts to rock toward each other, a horizontally disposed rocking plate, means provided upon said plate for rocking said shaft whereby the shafts are caused to rock from each other, and a printing device upon each shaft which becomes exposed when said shafts are rocked from each other.

3. A device for labeling eggs, a bracket adapted for attaching to an egg testing device, a pair of horizontally disposed, pa-rallcljly extending shafts carried by said bracket engaged by said printing plates thereby limiting the rotation of said shaft-s,

a rocking table supported by said bracket,

a pinion secured to each shaft, arack meshing with each pinion, said racks being formed upon said rocking table, whereby when said table is lowered said shafts are caused to rotate against the urge of said springs thereby exposing the faces of the aforesaid printing plates V'EMILV A. LAUBER. I 

